Alan Sullivan (’74) awarded distinguished alumni by the University of Utah Alumni Association
The award is granted each year in recognition of alumni who have excelled professionally, served the local and national communities and supported the university in its mission. The award will be presented at the Founders Day ceremony on March 3, 2017. Founders Day celebrates the founding of the University of Utah in 1850. The Founders Day awards for Distinguished and Honorary alumni are the highest honors the University of Utah Alumni Association gives and the highest honors from the university as a whole, alongside honorary doctorates. Three others will be honored as Distinguished Alumni in addition to an Honorary Alumnus at the ceremony. Sullivan, a partner in Snell & Wilmer’s litigation group, has been practicing law in Utah for more than 30 years. He represents clients in litigation relating to intellectual property, natural resources development, securities, manufacturing, technology, finance and health care. He also represents lawyers and law firms regarding ethical issues pending before courts and disciplinary boards. Sullivan is a fellow and past state chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a past chair of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Civil Procedure. He is on the board of trustees for the American Inns of Court. He chaired the And Justice For All campaign to establish ongoing private funding for Utah Legal Service, Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake and the Disability Law Center, and co-chaired the campaign that resulted in the purchase of a building to house those entities. He also served eight years on the board of the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, actively raising money for the organization.
American Heart Association Nominates Parker Allred (’11) to Board of Directors
Allred will serve a term of two years, with an opportunity to add two additional terms. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. At Snell & Wilmer, Allred focuses his practice in commercial litigation. His practice spans a variety of areas including contract disputes, real property issues, medical and legal malpractice actions, employment issues and general business litigation in federal and state courts. Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, Allred represented companies in corporate and transactional matters, including business formation, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and general compliance matters. Allred received his J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Spencer Fane Grows into Phoenix Market with Addition of Randy Jefferies (’87)
John R. Jefferies (Randy) joins the Spencer Fane firm as a Partner with a notable and accomplished career practicing as a federal and state procurement and contracts lawyer in the real estate and construction industries. Jefferies is the first attorney to join Spencer Fane in Phoenix, as the firm establishes an Arizona team as part of its growth strategy to align geographically with the growing needs of its clients. A recognized leader in the Arizona legal community, Jefferies brings decades of experience in federal and state procurement and government contract law, as well as years of experience serving contractors and subcontractors throughout Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada in building and construction law. He has negotiated and litigated construction claims at the city, county, state and federal levels on behalf of general contractors and specialty subcontractors. Jefferies has been recognized time and again in his career for his achievements, named to Best Lawyers in America lists in Construction Law (2017), Commercial Litigation (2005-2017) and Litigation – Construction (2005-2017), as well as Southwest Super Lawyers in Construction Litigation (2009 – 2017), Arizona’s Top Lawyers in Construction Litigation (2014). He has also earned the distinction of AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated (the highest rating available) by Martindale Hubbell.
Steve Dent (’14) joins Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office
Steve Dent has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office where he practices in the litigation department. After graduation, Steve served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Shelby of the United States District Court for the District of Utah, and to the Honorable Scott M. Matheson, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.